Haruki's eyes narrowed into sharp slits as he locked onto the two black sedans tailing them. The city traffic was a chaotic maze, but he had a single mission: Protect Emi at all costs.
He glanced at the rearview mirror, his voice dropping into a low, steady hum. "Miss Emi, are you ready? I'm about to turn a five-minute drive into a sixty-second blur."
Emi's heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird. She swallowed her terror, gripping the seat handle until her knuckles turned white. "Just do it," she whispered. "Just don't let them take me."
Haruki's lips curled into a daring smirk. "Then hold your breath. I hope you're not afraid of a little speed."
With a mechanical roar, Haruki slammed his foot onto the accelerator. The needle on the speedometer swept past 150 km/h in a heartbeat. Behind them, the kidnappers were professional; the moment they saw their target bolt, they accelerated, tires screaming against the asphalt.
But Haruki was a master of this game. He carved through the heavy traffic with the precision of a surgeon's scalpel through silk. The luxury car danced between lanes, leaving the black sedans trapped behind a wall of slower vehicles. He didn't just drive; he dominated the road.
Exactly sixty seconds later, the car screeched to a halt inside the sanctuary of the Kaminari Estate. Haruki let out a breath he didn't know he was holding and looked back. "Miss Emi, we're—"
He froze. Emi was slumped against the door, her eyes closed, her face ghostly pale.
"Miss Emi? Are you sleeping?" Fear spiked in Haruki's chest. He leapt out of the car, yanked the back door open, and pressed his fingers against her neck. His own heart slowed when he felt a steady, albeit faint, pulse. "Fainted... the g-force must have been too much for her."
Without hesitation, he scooped her up in his arms, her head resting against his chest, and sprinted into the mansion.
Kenzo Kaminari came rushing down the hall, his face etched with worry. "Haruki! My granddaughter! Why are you carrying her like that?"
"Get her to her room first, Sir," Haruki panted, his muscles aching from the adrenaline. "I'll explain everything once the doctor arrives."
The family doctor soon arrived, diagnosing Emi with a mix of extreme stress and a sudden drop in blood pressure due to the high-speed chase. Once she was stabilized, Kenzo, Amaya, and Haruki retreated to the dimly lit library.
"Is there something I don't know?" Kenzo's voice was heavy with foreboding.
Amaya looked at the floor, her spirit crushed. Before Haruki could speak, she blurted out the truth. "Dad... the letter yesterday. My ex-husband... he's a monster. The woman we thought was our maid? She was his secret wife all along. And now, he wants to take Emi away from me."
Kenzo's eyes flared with a murderous red tint. "That coward... I will crush him!"
"Sir Kenzo, calm yourself," Haruki interrupted, his voice respectful but firm. "Anger won't win this. Amaya's ex-husband is powerful and wealthy. You can't outspend a man who has nothing left to lose but his pride."
Kenzo rubbed his chin, looking at the young man. "You're right. Do you have a plan?"
"You are both giants in the business world," Haruki mused. "But Emi needs to be able to walk to school without a target on her back. Negotiations are the only way. If you meet him face-to-face in a neutral, secure location, you can settle this before he tries something even more desperate."
Amaya nodded fervently. "Haruki is right, Dad. If we don't negotiate, he'll keep sending his wolves."
Kenzo looked at them both and a mysterious smile played on his lips. "And if negotiations fail... I have another idea. One that will ensure he never touches her again."
"What idea?" they both asked in unison.
"In due time," Kenzo replied cryptically. "All in due time."
Meanwhile, upstairs, Emi's eyes fluttered open. She was greeted by the chaotic sounds of her younger sisters, Yuki and Hana, arguing at the foot of her bed.
"Haruki is my driver! He's mine!" Hana shouted, her face flushed with a childish crush.
"No way!" Yuki snapped back. "He's Emi-nee's! He only listens to her!"
Emi's head throbbed. "SHUT UP! BOTH OF YOU! GET OUT!" she screamed. The two girls scrambled out of the room, terrified.
As silence returned, Hana's words echoed in Emi's mind: Haruki is mine. Emi pulled her knees to her chest and hid her face. "I don't care," she whispered to the empty room. "I don't care at all."
But her stomach betrayed her with a loud growl. She wandered out to the balcony and saw Haruki below, talking to Kenzo. Haruki caught sight of her and immediately straightened up. "Sir Kenzo... look behind you."
Kenzo turned, his face lighting up. "My princess! You're awake! Where is your maid?"
Emi looked down at Haruki, her eyes locked with his. "I fired her. I don't need a personal maid, Grandpa."
"Fine, fine," Kenzo laughed. "But you must be hungry. Let's get some dinner."
"I want to go out," Emi said suddenly, her gaze never leaving Haruki. "I want to eat at a VIP lounge in the city."
"Emi, it's dangerous! Your father—"
"I have my driver, don't I?" Emi challenged. "He'll protect me."
Haruki's cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and he looked at the ground. Kenzo, seeing the spark in Emi's eyes, finally relented. "Fine. If Haruki is with you, you may go."
At 9:00 PM, they were halfway back from the city. Emi sat in the back, seemingly absorbed in her phone. Suddenly, she spoke up. "Give me your number."
Haruki blinked at the mirror. "Why?"
"Because you're my driver, you idiot!" Emi snapped, though her face was red. "I need to be able to call you."
Haruki smiled. "I'm not an idiot, Miss Emi. And I'm only hired for school runs."
Emi went silent, a wave of cold anger washing over her. But then, Haruki's voice softened. "However... if you ever need me, just call. I'll always come to pick you up."
Emi looked away, hiding a small, triumphant smile. They exchanged numbers in silence.
As they drove through a dark, deserted stretch of the road, a pair of headlights suddenly blinded them. A black sedan swung across the road, blocking their path completely.
Haruki slammed on the brakes, the tires shrieking in protest. The car skidded to a halt just inches from the intruder.
Haruki's expression shifted. The polite, smiling boy vanished. His eyes turned a predatory, cold red, glowing in the dashboard lights. He glared at the black car through the windshield, his hands tightening on the wheel until the leather groaned.
"Enough is enough," Haruki hissed, his voice vibrating with a dangerous intensity. "Tonight... I'm going to break every tooth in their heads."